


Still My Restless Soul

by wecouldbeenough



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Coffee Shops, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-11-23
Updated: 2015-11-23
Packaged: 2018-05-03 02:45:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,330
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5273570
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wecouldbeenough/pseuds/wecouldbeenough
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Yeah, ok...” Zayn sighed. “Just... Liam?”</p>
<p>  “Yeah?”</p>
<p>  “Not everything has to be so fast-paced, y'know. Like... you can take your time with things. Not everything in life is a race. You don't have to win all the time.”</p>
<p>  Liam blinked in shock.</p>
<p>  “Um, ok. I'll keep that in mind. Goodbye, Zayn.”</p>
<p>  “Bye, Liam.”</p>
<p>  Liam began to jog again, starting at a slower pace this time. His head was still whirling at the boy who he had left behind, this stranger who seemed weirdly invested in Liam's personal life. Who seemed to care about his well being. </p>
<p>  He shook his head, trying to clear himself of the intrusive thoughts, and pushed himself harder.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>(Or the one where Liam is trying his best to please everyone and is burning himself out, and Zayn is the shy boy from Bradford who maybe helps him think in a new way)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Still My Restless Soul

**Author's Note:**

> So hello guys, this is my first published work, and I'm a little bit (really) nervous about posting it. I know this chapter is a little bit awkwardly written, but I've written some of the next chapter and it's better, I promise! So please bear with me and give it a chance!

“Liam.”

Liam ignored the fidgety blond sitting on the end of his messy bed and furrowed his brow, trying to make sense of his maths homework.

“Liiiiammmmm,” the boy whined, dragging out the name and jostling the bed, causing his pencilcase to spill out its contents. Liam let out a sharp sigh and looked up.

“What is it, Niall?” he asked impatiently, immediately feeling guilty about the irritation in his tone. It wasn't like him to be so short with anyone, but he wasn't doing well in maths and Niall wasn't exactly helping his concentration.

It didn't affect Niall at all though. If anything, he seemed thrilled that Liam had managed to drag his eyes away from the page of endless theorems. Although you'd be hard pressed to find anything that could really ruffle Niall Horan. In all his life (though admittedly not a very long one), Liam had never met such a cheerful, happy-go-lucky person, so different from Liam, who was overly sensitive and tended to overthink things. Usually it was refreshing to have Niall around, but at the moment he was really starting to get on Liam's nerves.

“Do something with me,” Niall commanded, sitting up straighter as if he could better influence Liam's decision that way.

“Niall, I have so much to do, and-”

“Liam, your eyes are gonna fall out of your head if you keep staring at that page.” He reached over and grabbed the book out of Liam's lap, sending a couple of pencils flying. Liam's eyes widened.

“No, Niall, give it back-” He swiftly leaned forward to reclaim it from Niall's raised arm only to fall face first into the duvet. Niall cackled gleefully.

“Look, Li, I came here half an hour ago and you're still on the exact same page. I don't think you're gonna make any more progress today.”

Liam grumpily raised his face from the duvet to look up at him, which for some reason caused Niall to burst into fits of laughter.

“You're weird,” Liam muttered, trying not to let an exasperated smile break through.

“C'mon, what do ya say? A break will do you good, and I dunno about you, but I could go for some coffee right now.”

Liam looked at his watch. It was 1 o' clock on a Saturday, and he really didn't feel like spending any more of his weekend cooped up in his room with his schoolbooks.

He sighed again and began to stuff his pencils back into his pencilcase carelessly. 

“Fine, ok.” Niall whooped and jumped up off the bed, overreacting as usual. His enthusiasm was infectious though, and this time Liam didn't try to curb the smile that made its way onto his face. That is, until Niall threw open the curtains, letting light stream into the stuffy room. Liam let out a dramatic hiss, shielding his eyes with his hands. Niall rolled his eyes.

“You'll ruin your eyesight,” Niall chastised. Liam pouted lke a child.

Whatever, lets just go,” he grumbled, grabbing his wallet and phone, as well as a jacket from the back of a chair. It was only late September, but the weather was starting to get cooler, and despite the sunshine, there was a bite in the air.

“Hey, I'll call Lou. He can meet us there.” Niall pulled out his phone and began typing out a message. 

“Sure, whatever.” Liam grabbed his keys and put them in his pocket, not having to question where there was. It was the same coffee shop they'd been going to for years, a cozy place that did surprisingly good coffee for dirt cheap, useful for students on a budget.

“Mum, I'm going out with Niall!” he called out, jogging down the stairs with Niall in pursuit.

“Okay, have fun!” came her muffled reply from the kitchen.

Stepping outside the front door, Liam already felt lighter. He knew that he shouldn't be getting so bogged down in schoolwork, but it was his last year in school and honestly he wasn't the strongest student. It was different for Niall- he never seemed to put in a lot of work, or any for that matter, but somehow his grades were always good. Liam had to put in hours and hours of study to even get a B. He would have been jealous if it was anyone but Niall. No one could harbour negative feelings towards the blond boy, who was giving Liam a cheeky smile as he dragged him away from his house.

He'd just have to study harder tomorrow.

 

***

“So, gentlemen, what can I interest you in?” Harry Styles asked from behind the counter in an attempt to be suave, causing the two boys to roll their eyes. The boy with the unruly curls had been working there since he was 16, and his charisma was an essential part of the small cafe. They'd been friends ever since he had spilled Liam's drink all over him on his first day of the job, stuttering out apologies and helplessly dabbing at Liam's ruined shirt with napkins while Niall laughed so hard he couldn't breathe.

There was no trace of that initial awkwardness left now, Liam noted as he surveyed Harry's confident stance, flaunting the ugly dark green apron with style. The shop was quiet enough that Harry could always come over and chat with them, so they could spend hours in there without noticing. He was always nagging them about their choice of drink, going on and on about their range of herbal teas. Louis was the only one who ever humoured him, with a smile on his face, which he vehemently denied when ever confronted about it.

“Harry Styles! Looking dashing as ever,” a familiar voice shouted theatrically. 

Speak of the devil, Liam thought.

Harry beamed as he focused on something behind their heads. Liam was about to turn around to check when he felt something pounce on his back. The sheer force of it made him stumble, and he let out a surprised grunt, but managed to keep himself upright, still carrying the figure.

“Hello Louis,” Liam said through his teeth, not really mad at the brunet boy though, well used to his shenanigans.

“Well done, Liam, glad to see all that boxing and running is paying off.” Louis patted him on the shoulder and hopped down, landing deftly on his feet. Liam straightened his clothes and turned around, about to scold Louis when his eyes fell on a person standing behind Louis and his words caught in his throat.

A lean boy stood before him, nervously twisting the bottom of his oversized jumper as thickly-lashed eyes flickered between each person in front of him, before finally landing on Liam. He lifted a hand from his clothes to brush thick, inky hair from his face and twisted his lips into a sheepish smile. Liam couldn't take his eyes off him, taking in his sharp bone structure and warm hazel eyes with slight shock, wondering what he was doing with Louis. He tried to give him a smile back, seeing the boy still looked uncomfortable, but immediately felt foolish.

“So lads, I'm sure you're wondering who this is,” Louis began, waving his hands around as if he was telling a grand story.

“Actually, I have Maths with him,” Harry said mildly.

“'nd I've Music with him,” Niall threw in too.

“Anyway,” Louis continued, ignoring their comments. “This is Zayn Malik. We had an English project together, and I'm not gonna lie, he put in most of the work, and we got an A, so I said I'd buy him some coffee at this wonderful coffee shop that I just so happen to go to quite a bit, and introduce him to some friends of mine. So Zayn, this is Niall, Liam and Harry Styles.”

Zayn shyly raised a hand in an awkward wave, and Liam couldn't help smiling at his endearing attempt at a hello as the other boys smiled and said hi.

“So, Zayn, what can I get you?” Harry asked amiably from behind the counter. Liam could tell that he was sizing Zayn up thoughtfully. Not in a threatening way though, because that wasn't Harry. Just in a curious way. Trying to figure him out.

“Uh, I'll have an americano please,” he mumbled politely, looking up from the ground. Liam felt bad that Louis had dragged him here, it was clear he felt out of his depth. Harry smiled at him reassuringly, as if trying to tell him that there was no need to feel nervous. It seemed to work a little bit, as Zayn tentatively returned it.

The rest of the boys placed their orders, and Zayn, Niall and Liam went to sit in a corner table by a window- Liam crowded in by the window with Niall beside him and Zayn across from him- and a promise from Louis that he would follow soon, he just “had to keep Harry company while he made the drinks”.

The two boys were mostly silent for a while, while Niall chattered to no one in particular about nothing in particular. The atmosphere wasn't tense or awkward though- it was surprisingly comfortable despite how Zayn still seemed a bit anxious- his eyes kept focusing on different things outside the window, moving around quickly.

Liam felt antsy though. He loved spending time with his friends, but honestly he felt like he was wasting time. There was so much he needed to do, and he hadn't had time to go for a run today, having been studying all morning. Liam was the kind of person who needed to be productive, needed to be doing something at all times. So sitting in a quiet coffee shop wasn't exactly his cup of tea, excuse the pun. 

“So Zayn, what do you do in your free time?” Liam asked, unable to take the silence anymore. Zayn looked up at him, seemingly surprised at having been addressed.

“Um... I dunno, I guess I-”

“Zayn's bloody brilliant at drawing, actually,” Louis cut in, sloppily placing an espresso in front of Liam while Harry frowned disapprovingly from beside him, the shop being quiet enough to leave the counter. “Always doodling in the margins of his copy. Won't show me his sketchbooks, but he's still great.”

Zayn's cheeks seemed to redden a bit. “Not really, 'm not a proper artist, like. It's only for fun.”

“Well mate, you could pursue a career in it if you wanted. You're much better than Liam here anyway, he only draws stick figures.” Louis winked at him, not meaning any offence by it.

“Hey!” Liam chastised halfheartedly at the same time Zayn said “You're exaggerating.” The two locked eyes and exchanged a grin. Louis scoffed at them and sat down next to Zayn, nursing his tea.

“What about you?” Zayn asked, shifting his attention back onto Liam after smirking slightly at Louis. “What did Louis say... Running and boxing?”

“Hmm? Oh yeah, a bit. They're good stress relievers...” He saw Zayn study his bare arms appraisingly and felt his cheeks flush, completely unused to people looking at him like that. Especially people who looked like Zayn.

“Well, I'm completely rubbish at anything like that,” Zayn admitted. “I guess it pays off though.” Was that a compliment?

“Well, whatever Liam has, it's nothing compared to these guns!” Niall flexed his biceps and whatever tension was remaining completely disappeared as everyone laughed at him. Niall kicked Louis under the table, as he was the loudest, but even Harry cracked a smile.

And from then on there were no more silences. It was as if Zayn had always been part of their group. Harry had to go back to the counter, as more customers had arrived, but the four boys continued to joke and chat for another hour.

Liam learned that Zayn has three sisters, and that he loves Art and English but hates P.E., that he only moved here from Bradford during the summer because his father got a new job, which explains why Liam didn't recognise him.

And as he says his goodbyes to all the boys and begins the walk home, he finds himself curious about this goofy boy from Bradford. His phone felt heavy against his leg with the newly input number, and his mind was buzzing.

He hadn't gone out with his friends for a while, even though it was just for a coffee, and it was nice to meet someone new.

On the other hand though, he was so busy, what with school and his job that getting out seemed almost impossible, and wasteful when he did get the opportunity.

His eyes followed the path of a fallen leaf, carried in graceful patterns by the wind, and let out a sigh as it gently landed at his feet. It was early for the leaves to start falling, but he couldn't help but appreciate their beauty as he stopped walking and took a deep breath of the crisp air.

Balancing his responsibilities and fun was tough, and as much as he wanted to slack off, he couldn't. Money was tight at home, and although his mum and dad did their absolute best for him and his sisters, there was no way they could afford to send him to college, which was why getting a scholarship was so important to him. And his job could help him save up for when he was living on his own.

The leaf crunched under his foot as he began to walk again, shoving his hands into his pocket. The setting sun made his shadow long, and he realised that the summer had truly ended, causing a sudden wave of sadness to wash over him. He had some good memories from the summer months, lazy days drenched in sunlight and happiness. Although these colder months could carry equal opportunities.

Right now though, he had to put in the work. There would be time for creating memories later.

**Author's Note:**

> If you bothered reading to the end, thank you! I know it's short, but I didn't want to bore people with a long intro, and I kinda like where it ended. Like I said, I have a bit more written, but I might not post the rest if no one likes this. So please please comment if you have suggestions, wanna tell me you love or hate it, or even just to say hi. I'd love to get any comments.


End file.
